Pratt & Whitney reached multiyear agreements with United Airlines and Southwest Airlines to provide its EcoPower engine wash system offered by its Global Service Partners division. Technology, which is expected to result in significant fuel savings and emissions reductions, features a closed-loop system with atomized water that works to prevent contaminant runoff.
Boeing is coming under, and resisting, intense pressure from airlines to increase production of the 777-300ER, with the first availability for new orders now quoted as 2014.
Peru's Ministry of Transport and Communications suspended all scheduled services operated by domestic carrier Aerocondor using its fleet of four 737-200s owing to safety concerns. It noted that earlier this week one of the -200s "had a serious problem with a turbine" that prevented takeoff and that this was just the latest in a string of incidents involving the carrier's -200s. The airline issued a statement saying that the "rise in the price of the fuel" led it to ground its 737-200 fleet on a "temporary" basis.
Asia/Pacific airlines are responding rapidly and emphatically to the soaring cost of fuel and slowing global economy. Thai Airways announced that it will quit its nonstop services from Bangkok to New York JFK and Los Angeles and sell off its four A340-500s to help stem losses due to surging oil prices. It estimates that losses on the two routes at current fuel prices would top $120 million. China Airlines told Bloomberg News that it will ax 100 flights per month--10% of its capacity--mainly to the US, while EVA Air told the same news agency that it will cut services by 5%.
Air Astana signed its firm order for six A320s, finalizing an MOU reached last December ( ATWOnline, June 9). Aircraft will seat up to 148 passengers in a two-class layout. No engine choice has been made, Airbus said.
Transaero announced that Alexander Pleshakov was reelected chairman and Olga Pleshakova was reelected GD. AirTran Airways parent AirTran Holdings promoted VP-Finance and Treasurer Arne Haak to senior VP-finance, treasurer and CFO. Haak joined AirTran in 1999 and has held his current job since January 2006. He succeeds Stan Gadek, who left to take over as CEO of Sun Country Airlines ( ATWOnline, March 6)..
United Airlines and the Assn. of Flight Attendants announced an agreement offering voluntary severance to up to 600 cabin staff. The "one-time opportunity" will be available to flight attendants aged at least 45 who have a minimum 15 years of service with the company as of Aug. 1.
The death toll from Tuesday's Sudan Airways A310 runway excursion accident in Khartoum stands at 30, many fewer than originally feared, with most passengers able to escape the aircraft before it was consumed by fire.
Japan Airlines will use the introduction of its 777-300ER on routes to the US to unveil its latest first and business class seats. It will launch the JAL Suite in first class and the JAL Shell Flat Neo Seat in business starting with its Tokyo-New York JFK route thrice-weekly from Aug. 1 and daily from Aug. 11. San Francisco will come online Sept. 13 and Chicago O'Hare and Los Angeles from April 1. The -300ER will replace 747-400s, cutting fuel burn by 20%.
Boeing yesterday said it finalized a deal to acquire Vought Aircraft Industries' interest in Global Aeronautica, a 787 fuselage subassembly facility in South Carolina. Contract makes GA a 50/50 joint venture between Boeing and Alenia North America. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Hainan Airlines operated its first Beijing-Seattle A330 flight yesterday. It will operate the service four-times-weekly going forward. Etihad Airways and Jet Airways agreed to enter into a codeshare agreement that will take effect July 1 and cover both carriers' services to/from Abu Dhabi, New Delhi and Mumbai. EasyJet launched a six-times-weekly Brussels-Milan Malpensa service. Virgin Atlantic Airways will increase its London Heathrow-Hong Kong service from daily to 10-times-weekly from Oct. 28 and to twice-daily from Dec. 4.
While stressing it supports "the principle" of the inclusion of aviation in the EU emissions trading scheme, Air France lambasted proposals by a European Parliament committee as unfair, discriminatory and potentially damaging to the financial health of European carriers.
A Sudan Airways A310 en route from Damascus to Khartoum caught fire after landing, leading to as many as 120 fatalities, according to some reports, though it does appear that many passengers were able to escape. The aircraft, believed to be carrying 217 passengers and crew, landed at Khartoum in the midst of a sandstorm and heavy rain, according to numerous reports. A Sudanese official said on Sudanese TV that "it landed safely. . .and [pilots] talked to the control tower which told them where to taxi. At this moment an explosion happened."
US federal judge ruled that the families of victims killed in the August 2006 Comair Flight 5191 crash in Lexington may sue the airline for punitive damages, according to a report in the Louisville Courier Journal. The crash, which killed 49 of the 50 people onboard, occurred when the CRJ200 took off from the wrong runway. The National Transportation Safety Board said pilot error was the principal cause of the accident. Plaintiffs also will be allowed to seek punitive damages from James Polehinke, the copilot who was the only survivor of the crash.
Austrian Airlines Group issued a profit warning projecting a loss of up to €90 million ($141.8 million) in 2008 owing to high fuel costs and tough competition.
Aer Lingus said it will reduce its long-haul capacity by 15% for the 2008-09 winter season owing to "unprecedented" fuel costs, the weak US dollar and a slowing economy. The carrier conceded that based on current fuel prices and the uncertain economic outlook, it expects "at best" to break even for 2008. The reduction will include suspension of its five-times-weekly Dublin-Los Angeles service from Nov. 2. It also decided to take two A330s out of service in 2009 when it takes delivery of two new A330s, keeping the fleet to nine rather than expanding to 11 as had been planned.
Dublin Airport Authority awarded Siemens a €40 million ($63 million) contract to design and build a baggage handling system for Dublin Airport's new passenger terminal T2. The project is scheduled to open in spring 2010. DUB's €395 million T2 will be capable of handling up to 15 million passengers per year.
US National Transportation Safety Board said a regional jet operated by Pinnacle Airlines overran a runway at Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Mich., in April 2007 because the pilots chose to land on a "contaminated" (snowy) runway without performing the required landing distance calculations. No injuries resulted from the overrun.
US FAA signed a memorandum of agreement yesterday with VLJ operator DayJet Corp. to begin a five-year "phased implementation of proven NextGen technologies throughout Florida" in collaboration with the Florida Dept. of Transportation Aviation Office and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The agreement creates a partnership to develop procedures and collect data for flight operations to be applied to commercial aviation when the US transitions to a satellite-based ATC system, FAA said.
Delta Air Lines yesterday told regional partner Pinnacle Airlines that the capacity purchase agreement the two carriers signed in April 2007 will be terminated as of July 31, claiming that the Memphis-based airline has failed to meet ontime performance standards.
Aviareps will provide Delta Air Lines with ticketing services and sales for Malaga-New York JFK service. DL began the new route on June 4 and will operate it four-times-weekly.
SkyWest said it ended its quest to acquire ExpressJet Holdings after the latter announced a new service agreement with Continental Airlines last week ( ATWOnline, June 9). In April, ExpressJet rejected an unsolicited buyout offer from SkyWest Inc. valued at $3.50 per share or around $180 million, claiming that the offer undervalued the carrier ( ATWOnline, April 28).
Hainan Airlines is joining with the Yunnan local government in southwestern China to launch Yunnan Airlines, which will be comprised mainly of the assets of Lucky Air, an HNA subsidiary launched in 2006 that apparently will cease to exist. Based on an agreement signed between HNA and the Yunnan government, another HNA subsidiary, Grand China Air, will be the controlling stakeholder of the new Yunnan Airlines. The entity is reported to have a registered capital of more than CNY3 billion ($43.3 million).
CAE said it acquired Sabena Flight Academy for an undisclosed amount of cash with the aim of expanding its pilot training capability. It will gain control of Sabena's training center in Brussels equipped with FFSs for A320s, A330s, A340s, 737 Classics and 737NGs. It also will take over Sabena's pilot training school in Mesa, Ariz., equipped with 40 aircraft.
